International Business Machines Corporation

Stmicroelectronics Gmbh

Globalfoundries Inc.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Ltd (corporation)

Yiheng Xu

Lawrence Alfred Clevenger

John H Zhang

Carl John Radens

Edem Wornyo

Richard Stephan Wise

Vincent James McGahay

Joyeeta Nag

Richard Stephen Wise

Haiting Wang

Terry Allen Spooner

Nicole A Saulnier

Scott Beasor

Walter Kleemeier

Hsueh-Chung Chen

Yann Mignot

Thomas W Dyer

Jinping Liu

Rishikesh Krishnan

Akil Khamisi Sutton

Wei Zhao

Shaoning Yao

Byoung Youp Kim

Tze-man Ko

Yannick Loquet

Yun Yu Wang

Wai-Kin Li

Wu-Song S Huang

Griselda Bonilla

Dario Leonardo Goldfarb

Jiehui Shu

Junjing Bao

Shesh Mani Pandey

Roger Allan Quon

Shahab Siddiqui

Stephan Grunow

Joseph Francis Shepard, Jr

Chao-Kun Hu

Martin Glodde

Bharat V Krishnan

Michael L Passow

Rinus Tek Po Lee

Qun Gao

Yue Zhong

Gary R Moore

Cindy Goldberg

Fuad H Al-Amoody

Ankur Arya

Edward R Engbrecht

Beth Baumert

Joseph K Kassim

Kyung Bum Koo

Hanako Henry

Tien Cheng

Zhiguo Sun

Wei-tsui Tseng

Hyeok-sang Oh

Joseph Byrne

Ting-Hsiang Hung

Harry D Clark

Todd B Abrams

Vertical GAA FET structures are disclosed in which a current-carrying nanowire is oriented substantially perpendicular to the surface of a silicon substrate. The vertical GAA FET is intended to meet design and performance criteria for the 7 nm technology generation. In some embodiments, electrical contacts to the drain and gate terminals of the vertically oriented GAA FET can be made via the backside of the substrate. Examples are disclosed in which various n-type and p-type transistor designs have different contact configurations. In one example, a backside gate contact extends through the isolation region between adjacent devices. Other embodiments feature dual gate contacts for circuit design flexibility. The different contact configurations can be used to adjust metal pattern density.

Vertical gate all-around transistor

Integrated circuit devices include trenches in a material layer that divide the material layer into fins. With such devices, an insulator partially fills the trenches and contacts the material layer. The top surface of the insulator (e.g., the surface opposite where the insulator contacts the material layer) has a convex dome shape between at least two of the fins. The dome shape has a first thickness from (from the bottom of the trench) where the insulator contacts the fins, and a second thickness that is greater than the first thickness where the insulator is between the fins. Further, there is a maximum thickness difference between the first and second thicknesses at the midpoint between the fins (e.g., the highest point of the dome shape is at the midpoint between the fins). Also, the top surface of the first insulator has concave divots where the first insulator contacts the fins.

Fin reveal forming STI regions having convex shape between fins

The present disclosure relates to semiconductor structures and, more particularly, to fin structures and methods of manufacture. The structure includes: a plurality of fin structures formed of substrate material; a semiconductor material located between selected fin structures of the plurality of fin structures; and isolation regions within spaces between the plurality of fin structures.

Fin structures

Processes and overturned thin film device structures generally include a gate having a concave shape defined by three faces. The processes generally include forming the overturned thin film device structures such that the channel self-aligns to the gate and the source/drain contacts include a self-aligned step height.

Overturned thin film device with self-aligned gate and source/drain (S/D) contacts

Ultra-low-k dielectric materials used as inter-layer dielectrics in high-performance integrated circuits are prone to be structurally unstable. The Young's modulus of such materials is decreased, resulting in porosity, poor film strength, cracking, and voids. An alternative dual damascene interconnect process incorporates air gaps into a high modulus dielectric material to maintain structural stability while reducing capacitance between adjacent nanowires. Incorporation of an air gap having k=1.0 compensates for the use of a higher modulus film having a dielectric constant greater than the typical ultra-low-k (ULK) dielectric value of about 2.2. The higher modulus film containing the air gap is used as an insulator between adjacent metal lines, while a ULK film is retained to insulate vias. The dielectric layer between two adjacent metal lines thus forms a ULK/high-modulus dielectric bi-layer.

Advanced interconnect with air gap

Self-aligned three dimensional vertically stacked chip stacks and processes for forming the same generally include two or more vertically stacked chips supported by a scaffolding structure, the scaffolding structure defined by a first scaffolding trench and at least one additional scaffolding trench, the first scaffolding trench comprising a bottom surface having a width and a sidewall having a height extending from the bottom surface to define a lowermost trench in a scaffolding layer, the at least one additional scaffolding trench overlaying the first scaffolding trench having a sidewall having a height and a width, wherein the width of the at least one scaffolding trench is greater than the first scaffolding trench width to define a first stair between the first scaffolding trench and the at least one additional trench; a first chip secured to the first scaffolding trench having a height less than the first scaffolding trench sidewall height; and at least one additional chip secured to and supported by the first stair, wherein the at least one additional chip is vertically spaced apart from the first chip.

Self-aligned three dimensional chip stack and method for making the same

A method of thermally oxidizing a Si fin to form an oxide layer over the Si fin and then forming an ALD oxide layer over the oxide layer and resulting device are provided. Embodiments include forming a plurality of Si fins on a Si substrate; forming a dielectric layer over the plurality of Si fins and the Si substrate; recessing the dielectric layer, exposing a top portion of the plurality of Si fins; thermally oxidizing surface of the top portion of the plurality of Si fins, an oxide layer formed; and forming an ALD oxide layer over the oxide layer.

Gate oxide formation through hybrid methods of thermal and deposition processes and method for producing the same

A plurality of metal tracks are formed in a plurality of intermetal dielectric layers stacked in an integrated circuit die. Thin protective dielectric layers are formed around the metal tracks. The protective dielectric layers act as a hard mask to define contact vias between metal tracks in the intermetal dielectric layers.

Encapsulated damascene interconnect structure for integrated circuits

An insulator is formed by flowable chemical vapor deposition (FCVD) process. The insulator is cured by exposing the insulator to ultraviolet light while flowing ozone over the insulator to produce a cured insulator. The curing process forms nitrogen, hydrogen, nitrogen monohydride, or hydroxyl-rich atomic clusters in the insulator. Following the curing process, these methods select wavelengths of microwave radiation (that will be subsequently used during annealing) so that such wavelengths excite the nitrogen, hydrogen, nitrogen monohydride, or hydroxyl-rich atomic clusters. Then, these methods anneal the cured insulator by exposing the cured insulator to microwave radiation in an inert (e.g., non-oxidizing) ambient atmosphere, at a temperature below 500&#xb0; C., so as to increase the density of the cured insulator.

Microwave annealing of flowable oxides with trap layers

Processes and overturned thin film device structures generally include a metal gate having a concave shape defined by three faces. The processes generally include forming the overturned thin film device structures such that the channel self-aligns to the metal gate and the contacts can be self-aligned to the sacrificial material.

Structure and process for overturned thin film device with self-aligned gate and S/D contacts

A hardmask is patterned on a first material to leave hardmask elements. The first material is patterned into fins through the hardmask. A layer of silicon is formed on the hardmask elements and the fins in processing that forms the layer of silicon thicker on the hardmask elements relative to the fins. An isolation material is formed on the layer of silicon to leave the isolation material filling spaces between the fins. The isolation material and the layer of silicon are annealed to consume relatively thinner portions of the layer of silicon and leave the layer of silicon on the hardmask elements as silicon elements. A chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) is performed on the isolation material to make the isolation material planar with the silicon elements. A first etching agent removes the silicon elements on the hardmask elements, and a second chemical agent removes the hardmask elements.

Silicon liner for STI CMP stop in FinFET

Nanoscale efuses, antifuses, and planar coil inductors are disclosed. A copper damascene process can be used to make all of these circuit elements. A low-temperature copper etch process can be used to make the efuses and efuse-like inductors. The circuit elements can be designed and constructed in a modular fashion by linking a matrix of metal columns in different configurations and sizes. The number of metal columns, or the size of a dielectric mesh included in the circuit element, determines its electrical characteristics. Alternatively, the efuses and inductors can be formed from interstitial metal that is either deposited into a matrix of dielectric columns, or left behind after etching columnar openings in a block of metal. Arrays of metal columns also serve a second function as features that can improve polish uniformity in place of conventional dummy structures. Use of such modular arrays provides flexibility to integrated circuit designers.

Modular fuses and antifuses for integrated circuits

Growing community of inventors

Hopewell Junction, NY, United States of America

Yiheng Xu